


Cold

by zorcupine



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, M/M, Married Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:35:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29089893
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zorcupine/pseuds/zorcupine
Summary: Maybe it was something that came with age, because whoever said grown men did not have feelings were terribly mistaken.Or: Harry was feeling cold one day.
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter
Comments: 2
Kudos: 26





	Cold

It is hardly possible to miss someone you never knew, but Harry was known for making the impossible possible. 

That night, Harry Potter was missing his parents. 

Time for 'what if's was long over, the couple had been gone for years - in all honesty, Harry was not sure whether he retained any memories at all of when they were alive, but it could have been anything that triggered his sudden longing for familial warmth. 

His heart had been inching towards a rigid, frozen state for a while now, but that day the cold reached its peak, leaving Harry breathless with a deep sense of longing and a shuddering heart. He walked the streets absent-mindedly, occasionally looking up at the bright laughter of families and the often chirping of birds, thinking of a time when life could have been something it was not. 

Warm embrace. A pet, maybe. Chats over tea or coffee late into the night, when he could talk and be listened, listen and be able to feel for the speaker. 

Harry did not know how he returned home, or how it long had been since his thoughts contained anything other than the imaginary scenes of life with his parents.He reached for a jumper left on the bedside chair. It was not what he wanted, nor was it what he needed, but it was the only thing he had that could help soften the thumping in his chest. 

The sound of a door being unlocked almost missed Harry. The other man walked into the house, rustled and bustled about for a few minutes, his rhythm subtle but constant - he was living here too, after all. Harry contemplated how he should greet him - they had been married long enough for the passion to dwindle down to an ember, their love then was as though it were waves on a peaceful sea: slow, gentle but everlasting. No need for pleasantries, this implied, but Harry would always greet him with warm smiles and caring questions when he could. However, that day, Harry was feeling cold. 

Warm embrace. A pet, maybe. Those would help. 

Instead of raising his voice to ask for them, and he knew that his husband would gladly provide him with what he wanted - Harry kept silence, it was one of those days that Harry felt frozen. 

For the day, he did not crave romance. 

For the day, he wanted to see his parents. 

Clutching the jumper in his hands at he sat up, leaned against the headboard and closed his eyes, Harry listened for the approaching footsteps.  
"Hi." Where had his energy gone? Harry could not bring himself to return the greeting.  
His husband did not mind him in that state, continuing to put down his bag and changed into more comfortable clothing, eventually settling on the bed beside Harry with a practiced calmness. Maybe he was worried. 

"Have you eaten?" Harry had not, maybe that was why he was feeling so cold. 

They sat there, silent. At one point, Harry began to cry. If his husband was in panic, he did a great job hiding it. Gently guiding Harry's head to lean on his shoulder, the other man did not say a word as he conveyed his concern through his hold on Harry's cold hands. 

Slowly, they slid from the sitting position into lying, Draco wrapping Harry in a loose but warm embrace - he was running a fever, it seemed, but from Draco's point of view, the other man's mind was clearly more affected than his body. 

They did not talk about it. 

Trickling into his soul so tentatively it hurt, the warmth of Draco's heart pricked open Harry's own. Yet to begin thawing still, Harry's heart recognised the feelings gradually surrounding it. Familial love - and thus, it began to absorb. As though a fish returned to water, one soul swam freely in the acceptance of another, and Harry and Draco reconciled - despite not having parted. 

Harry was missing his parents, of whom he knew, but about whom - not so much. It was a day that Harry wanted a family.  
Might it have been magic, may it have been love, fact it was understanding, as Draco set aside their romance - it was not the time for that, he noted - and cared for Harry in a way family would. 

"Happy birthday, my love."

Warm embrace, helps.

**Author's Note:**

> Apologies for the grammar mistakes if there are any - I have a habit of skimming through text. Also this is my first time posting on AO3, so tagging and the likes is, uhm, mediocre at best. 
> 
> This was inspired by my personal feeling of homesickness, so I hope it was an enjoyable (and/or relatable) read :) 
> 
> Wherever you are, stay safe, healthy and happy :) Thanks for reading!


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